U.S. patent application number 10/505552 was filed with the patent office on 2005-08-04 for nutritionally enriched maple syrup.
This patent application is currently assigned to MIC CO., LTD.. Invention is credited to Bergeron, Luc, Ishiguro, Toshihiro, Watanabe, Yoshiko.
Application Number | 20050170047 10/505552 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 27750737 |
Filed Date | 2005-08-04 |
United States Patent
Application |
20050170047 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Watanabe, Yoshiko ; et
al. |
August 4, 2005 |
Nutritionally enriched maple syrup
Abstract
The present invention relates to nutritionally enriched maple
syrup, which is enriched in vitamins, and more particularly to
nutritionally enriched maple syrup which contains vitamin C in an
amount of 50 mg or more based on 100 ml of maple syrup obtained by
thermally concentrating a maple sap. The present invention also
includes maple syrup enriched in vitamins such as vitamin E and
vitamin B.sub.1 and other nutrients. According to the present
invention, the nutritional value and quality of maple syrup,
particularly maple syrup obtained by thermal concentration, can be
improved and the range of its use for other foods can be widened.
Nutrient enrichment can be carried out by an efficient method
suited for industrial scale production. Moreover, the nutritionally
enriched maple syrup of the present invention exhibits a
well-balanced flavor, and thus it can be widely added to various
foods.
Inventors: |
Watanabe, Yoshiko;
(Osaka-shi, JP) ; Bergeron, Luc; (Vancouver,
CA) ; Ishiguro, Toshihiro; (Toyono-gun, JP) |
Correspondence
Address: |
RABIN & Berdo, PC
1101 14TH STREET, NW
SUITE 500
WASHINGTON
DC
20005
US
|
Assignee: |
MIC CO., LTD.
5-17, Matsumushi-dori 1-chome Abeno-ku, Osaka-shi
Osaka 545-0043
JP
L.B. MAPLE TREAT INC.
1717, West Fifth Avenue, Vancouver
British Columbia V6J 1P1
CA
|
Family ID: |
27750737 |
Appl. No.: |
10/505552 |
Filed: |
March 30, 2005 |
PCT Filed: |
February 21, 2003 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/JP03/01894 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
426/72 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A23L 29/30 20160801;
A23L 33/125 20160801; C13B 50/00 20130101; A23L 5/00 20160801 |
Class at
Publication: |
426/072 |
International
Class: |
A23L 001/30 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Feb 25, 2002 |
JP |
2002-48346 |
Claims
1. Nutritionally enriched maple syrup, which is enriched in
vitamins.
2. Nutritionally enriched maple syrup according to claim 1, which
contains vitamin C in an amount of 50 mg or more based on 100 ml of
maple syrup obtained by thermally concentrating a maple sap.
3. Nutritionally enriched maple syrup according to claim 2, which
is maple syrup having a sugar content of 8 to 70 Brix obtained by
thermal concentration.
Description
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] The present invention relates to nutritionally enriched
maple syrup, which is enriched in vitamins such as vitamin C,
vitamin E and vitamin B.sub.1.
BACKGROUND ART
[0002] Maple syrup is made from the sap of maple trees belonging to
Aceraceae that grow in the region of the North American continent
ranging from the Canadian province of Quebec to the state of Ohio
in the U.S.A. The sap is processed in an evaporator to remove some
90% of water content so as to obtain the maple syrup as the
remainder. This manufacturing method has been maintained over one
hundred years, with the product patronized as 100% pure high
quality sweetener. The traditional concentration method has been
adhered to by the indigenous producers, while the consumers love
the natural sweet taste.
[0003] However, the traditional method of producing maple syrup has
a problem in that some of the intrinsic components of the maple sap
are thermally decomposed or lost during thermal concentration.
Therefore, the maple syrup has been used mainly as a sweetener
containing thermally stable sugar and other components.
Concentration at a high temperature alters the color (conventional
maple syrup has a pale brown color).
[0004] Meanwhile it is important to take sufficient amounts of
essential nutrients in daily diet for the purpose of health care.
But recently increasing numbers of people, particularly of the
younger generation, tend to live on quick and light meals such as
fast foods, giving rise to a concern about balanced intake of
nourishment. To counter this problem, nutrition supplements have
been commercialized but these products often take the form of
tablets or capsules which cannot be regarded as foods. Thus the
nutrition supplements can provide nutrients but lack proper flavor
of food and cannot be relied on as a nutritional source on a daily
basis.
[0005] Among nutrients, vitamins are essential ones that must be
taken every day but tend to be deficient in meals which are
prevalent today. Thus there are strong needs to take sufficient
amounts of vitamins through natural foods. However, it is difficult
to add required amounts of vitamins to a food in stable condition
without compromising the flavor of the food. Vitamin C, for
example, has a strong sourness and many people do not like to take
it in such a form as tablets due to the sourness. Beverages
enriched in vitamin C are commercialized, but the content of
vitamin C is limited for the reason of flavor and other
considerations.
[0006] Thus, an object of the present invention is to provide a
maple syrup product, which contains nutrients that conventional
maple syrup lacks, and is enriched in vitamins which tend to be
deficient in meals that are prevalent today, and also has good
flavor.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
[0007] Under these circumstances, the present inventors have tried
adding vitamins to various foods, but have not solved the problems
of taste and quality. Also the present inventors have studied the
Production methods of maple syrup and had the idea of adding
vitamins to the maple syrup and thus a trial of the addition of
vitamins was made. As a result, more surprisingly, the present
inventors have obtained such a finding that refreshing light
sweetness and sourness are exhibited and also the odd taste and
scorch odor specific to conventional maple syrup are eliminated and
the flavor is remarkably improved by adding vitamin C to the maple
syrup. This result was unexpected and thus the present inventors
have succeeded in the development of a maple syrup with a new
flavor which has never been achieved.
[0008] The present invention provides "nutritionally enriched maple
syrup, which is enriched in vitamins". In the present invention,
nutritionally enriched maple syrup which contains vitamin C in an
amount of 50 mg or more based on 100 ml of maple syrup is
included.
[0009] As used herein, the term "enriched in vitamins" means to add
vitamins in an amount higher than that of vitamin contained in a
maple sap or maple syrup obtained therefrom, enrich vitamins lost
during the manufacturing process, or add vitamins which are not
contained in the maple sap.
MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
[0010] In the present invention, the maple syrup is to be enriched
with vitamins. Maple syrup has a sugar content degree of about 8 to
70 Brix, preferably 20 to 65 Brix, and more preferably 30 to 60
Brix, which is obtained by concentration of a maple sap having a
sugar content of about 1.5 to 4 Brix and at neutral pH. The
concentration method is not specifically limited and any
commercially available maple syrup is obtained by charging a maple
sap in an evaporator and thermally concentrating it for a long
time. The conditions of thermal concentration vary depending on the
kind of the evaporator and examples of the concentration method
include a method of thermally evaporating under atmospheric
pressure at 100.degree. C. and a method of concentrating at 30 to
90.degree. C. using a concentration apparatus equipped with a
pressure reducing device. When the concentration temperature is
decreased, excess decomposition of the component is suppressed but
the concentration efficiency is lowered. In the present invention,
the effect of improving quality is also exerted on maple syrup
obtained by thermal concentration at 100.degree. C. However, it is
preferable to use, as a raw material, maple syrup obtained by
thermal concentration under reduced pressure at 50 to 90.degree.
C., and preferably 55 to 80.degree. C., in view of quality and
industrial scale production.
[0011] By this thermal concentration method, although thermally
unstable vitamins such as vitamin C are thermally decomposed,
thermally stable saccharides are concentrated and the resulting
maple syrup exhibits natural light sweetness free from odd taste.
In the present invention, the maple syrup obtained by thermal
concentration as the object is supplemented with vitamins, which
were lost during thermal concentration, or is enriched in a high
content of vitamins.
[0012] Vitamins to be added in a higher amount in the present
invention include vitamin C as an essential component, and also
include one or more kinds of vitamins selected from among vitamin
E, vitamin B.sub.1 and niacin. The amount of vitamins is preferably
50 mg or more based on 100 ml of the maple syrup in case of vitamin
C, and the upper limit is not specifically limited but is 5000 mg
or less. It is preferable that the maple syrup contains vitamin E
in an amount of about 3 to 150 mg and vitamin B.sub.1 in an amount
of 5 to 15 mg, based on 100 ml of the maple syrup.
[0013] As described in the manual of Japanese Pharmacopoeia (1991),
the required intake of vitamin C is from 50 to 200 mg per day, and
lack of vitamin C causes scurvy, Moller-Barlow disease, increase in
bleeding tendency and growth retardation, thus lowering ability
capable of producing antibody and ability capable of healing wound.
Also it is reported that vitamin C exerts effects such as
participation in the production of collagen, enhancement in
resistance to blood capillaries, improvement in bleeding tendency,
participation in function of adrenal cortex (prevention of stress
reaction) and suppression of production of melanin pigment in the
living body. As described above, it is considered that vitamin C is
one of vitamins to which sufficient attention must be paid so as to
regularly take it.
[0014] In the present invention, other nutrients such as minerals
(for example, calcium, magnesium, iron, and iodine) and amino acids
(for example, lysine, threonine, triptophan, and methionine) may be
added, together with vitamins.
[0015] Among the vitamins to be added to the maple syrup,
water-soluble vitamins are added in the form of a solid such as
educt or edible salt, or added after previously preparing an
aqueous solution. In the case of water-insoluble vitamins, it is
advantageous to use a method of using an edible water-soluble salt
or derivative or a method of adding after previously preparing an
emulsion because it is easily miscible with the maple syrup. In
case of the addition, it is optionally subjected to heating and
stirring. In case of the addition of other nutrients, the same
method may be employed.
[0016] The maple syrup enriched in vitamins is filled into a
container (for example, bottle, paper pack, or PET bottle) to
provide a product in a sterilized, cooled or frozen state. It is
preferable to use, as the sterilization method, a sterilization
method with less heating load, for example, pasteurization and
shower sterilization which are applied to conventional liquid
foods.
[0017] The nutritionally enriched maple syrup, which is enriched in
vitamins, of the present invention can be used for the purpose of
imparting sweetness similar to conventional maple syrup, and is
also used in the form of a beverage or used for the purpose of
improvement in quality and nutrient enrichment.
EXAMPLES
[0018] The present invention will now be described in more detail
by way of Test Examples and Examples.
Test Example 1
[0019] An aqueous 25% solution was prepared by adding 1 g of
vitamin C to 4 ml of water, followed by heating to 40.degree. C. 0
to 32 ml (see Table 1) of maple syrup (Canadian No. 1 Medium,
manufactured by L.B. Maple Treat Inc., sugar content degree: 50
Brix, vitamin C content: 0%) was added to 1 ml of the resulting
aqueous solution, and then taste, pH and color were examined. The
results are shown in Table 1.
Test Example 2
[0020] 0 to 8 ml (see Table 1) of honey (distributed by L.B. Maple
Treat Inc.) was added to 1 ml of the aqueous vitamin C solution
prepared in Test Example 1, and then taste, pH and color were
examined. The results are shown in Table 1.
Test Example 3
[0021] 0 to 36 ml (see Table 1) of an aqueous saturated solution
(15.degree. C.) of sugar (very-refined sugar, manufactured by TAITO
Co., Ltd.) was added to 1 ml of the aqueous vitamin C solution
prepared in Test Example 1, and then taste, pH and color were
examined. The results are shown in Table 1.
1TABLE 1 Amount (ml) Taste pH Color Test Example 1 0 strong
sourness/no mildness 1 colorless (Maple syrup) 2 strong
sourness/sweetness 1-2 discoloration of brown color 4
sourness/sweetness/mildness 3-4 discoloration of brown color 8
sweetness/slight sourness 4-5 discoloration of brown color 16
sweetness/less sourness 6-7 discoloration of brown color 32
sweetness of maple 6-7 discoloration of brown color Test Example 2
0 strong sourness/no mildness 1 colorless (Honey syrup) 2 strong
sourness/sweetness 1-2 pale yellow color 4
sourness/sweetness/mildness 4 pale yellow color 8 sweetness/slight
sourness 4-5 pale yellow color Test Example 3 0 strong sourness/no
mildness 1 colorless (Sugar syrup) 2 strong sourness/sweetness 1-2
colorless 4 sourness/sweetness 2 colorless 8 sweetness/sourness 2-3
colorless 16 Sweetness 3 colorless 32 Sweetness 3 colorless
[0022] Test Examples 1 to 3 were carried out to obtain the
following results.
[0023] 1) When vitamin C is added to maple syrup, a syrup solution
having proper sourness and sweetness is obtained. The concentration
of vitamin C corresponds to 3.5-0.8 g based on 100 ml of the
syrup.
[0024] 2) In a comparison between sweetness and sourness, when
vitamin C was added to maple syrup and honey syrup respectively, a
rapid decrease in sourness was recognized at a low concentration
and a decrease in sourness was not recognized when the sugar syrup
has a high concentration.
[0025] 3) With regard to taste, maple syrup containing vitamin C
added therein was most mild and showed well-balanced taste.
[0026] 4) In view of ease of preparation, vitamin C can be easily
dissolved in maple syrup, whereas, vitamin C is hardly miscible
with honey syrup and it is very hard to perform mass
production.
[0027] 5) Raw maple syrup has a pale brown color and discoloration
was caused by the addition of vitamin C. This fact is advantageous
for improvement in quality of the maple syrup.
Example 1
[0028] 1000 g of vitamin C powder was added in 4000 ml of water and
then the suspension was heated to 40.degree. C. and stirred at the
same temperature thereby to completely dissolve the powder. Under
stirring, the resulting aqueous vitamin C solution was added to 50
L of maple syrup (Canadian No. 1 Medium, sugar content: 50 Brix,
vitamin C content: 0%) at room temperature to obtain maple syrup
enriched uniformly in vitamin C.
Example 2
[0029] A bottle product of vitamin C-containing maple syrup was
produced by pasteurizing 54 L (liter) of the vitamin C-containing
maple syrup obtained in Example 1 at 60.degree. C. for 10 minutes,
immediately charging the pasteurized maple syrup in a syrup supply
portion of a sterilized bottling device, automatically dispensing
250 ml each of the maple syrup in a 300 ml sterilized glass bottle,
and sealing and fixing the glass bottle.
[0030] A bottle product of vitamin C-enriched maple syrup was
produced by charging 54 L of the vitamin C-containing maple syrup
obtained in Example 1 in a syrup supply portion of a sterilized
bottling device, automatically dispensing 250 ml each of the maple
syrup in a 300 ml sterilized glass bottle, and contacting the glass
bottle with hot water shower at 90.degree. C. for 3 minutes.
Example 3
[0031] A bottle product of maple syrup enriched in vitamins C, E
and B.sub.1 was produced by adding 3.0 g of vitamin E and 1.0 g of
vitamin B.sub.1 to 54 L of the vitamin C-containing maple syrup
obtained in Example 1 under stirring, pasteurizing the maple syrup
at 60.degree. C. for 10 minutes, immediately charging the
pasteurized maple syrup in a syrup supply portion of a sterilized
bottling device, automatically dispensing 250 ml each of the maple
syrup in a 300 ml sterilized glass bottle, and sealing and fixing
the glass bottle.
INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY
[0032] The nutritionally enriched maple syrup of the present
invention is a food with very high nutritional value because it can
be supplemented with vitamins, which were lost during the
manufacturing process, and can be enriched in a high content of
vitamins and also can be enriched in vitamins which are not
contained in maple sap. The nutritionally enriched maple syrup can
be preferably used as a sweetener and used for various foods such
as beverages because it is well balanced between refreshing
sourness and sweetness.
[0033] The maple syrup containing vitamin C added therein of the
present invention has no or pale brown color specific to
conventional maple syrups and therefore has remarkably improved
appearance and quality. The maple syrup is classified into light
transmittance grading of Extra Light, Light, Medium Amber, Dark
Amber and Dark in order because the level light transmittance
varies depending on production area, harvesting time and thermal
concentration method of raw materials. The maple syrup with the
grading of Extra Light has the best quality and is therefore sold
at high price, but its production quantity is limited. According to
the present invention, the maple syrup with the grading of Dark can
be improved to provide maple syrup with the grading of Light or
more desirable grades. In view of taste, the scorch taste specific
to raw maple syrup is improved, and thus providing maple syrup with
a new taste that has never been achieved.
[0034] Intake of the nutritionally enriched maple syrup of the
present invention in various edible forms can contribute to health
maintenance and health promotion for humans. The maple syrup is
easily enriched with vitamins and the method of the present
invention is by far suited for industrial scale production as
compared with the case of adding vitamins to honey syrup or sugar
syrup, and also maple syrup graded at a higher quality can be
obtained.
[0035] In the present invention, supplement of vitamin C is
conducted by continuously taking the nutritionally enriched maple
syrup enriched in vitamin C, and thus there can be expected the
effects of preventing osteoporosis, beautifying the skin,
maintaining polish and firmness of the skin, preventing various
disorders from strong stress stimulation, and ensuring a healthy
body that helps prevent catching a cold. Since the maple syrup
enriched with vitamin C increases the light transmittancy of the
maple syrup, the maple syrup can be applied to other foods and,
moreover, it is expected that an antioxidative effect (prevention
of deterioration of quality) is exerted on foods which are likely
to be oxidized.
* * * * *